Booster construction for explosive bombs



L. P. BARLOW..

BOOSTER CONSTRUCTION FOR EXPLOSIVE BOMBS, &c.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 25. I918.

Patented Sept. 30,1919.

INVENTOR t/M ATTORNEY En STATES PATENT OFFICE. v

LESTER P. BARLO'W', OF NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIG-NOR TO MARLIN-ROCKWELL CORPORATION, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A. CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

BOOSTER cons'rgaccrron ron nxrtosrvn BOMBS, aw.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LESTER P. BARLOW,

V a-citizen of the United States, residing at New Haven, in the county of'New Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Booster Construction for Explosive Bombs,

' &c., of which the following is a specification.

My present invention is an improvement u-ponlthe construction described and claimed in my application Serial Number 195,187,

filed October 6th, 1917, for booster construction for explosive devices, which construction is adapted for use in various form's'of explosive shells inwhich the booster charge of explosive material is to be fired by the explosion of a detonator and is in turn to detonate the main explosive charge ofthe shell. In the application referred to an integral frame, preferably a casting, is provided having upper. and lower annular portions connected together by radially or outwardly extending ribs. A tube is inserted within the bore of this frame to provide an inner closure for the pockets or spaces be tween the ribs. The pockets thus formed being filled with detonating material are closed on their peripheries by an outer tube fitted around the frame. In the application referred to this outer tube was simply fitted around the frame to contact against the outer" edges of the ribs referred to, the upper edge of the tube preferably abutting against a shoulder formed on the .upper annular (portion of the frame, the tube being secure in position by peening its lower edge slightly about the lower edge of the bottom annular portion of the frame.

In operation it has been found that this construction does'not, in all cases, provide 1 sufficient strength to withstand the shocks to The result of such breakage may be to cause inward springing of the frame, and obstruction of the downward movement of the detonator into firing position, or the dropping of the plug carrying the firing pin out of position, in which case the detonator would drop harmles sly into the explosive chamber.

My present improvement overcomes this difficulty by utilizing the outer closure forthe pockets situated between the radial ribs as a stiffening and strengthening member. Accordingly I secure this outer tube or closure rigidly to the upper portion of the frame, as by screw-threading'the same thereon, and bend the lower edge of the tube inwardly to form a sustaining flange located.

may be secured within the lower annular portion of the booster frame.

In order that a clearer understanding of my invention may be had, attention is hereby directed to the accompanying drawings forming part of this application and illustrating a preferred embodiment of my invention. sents a vertical, longitudinal section through In the drawings Figure l repre- Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Sept, 30 1919,

a booster embodying my invention mounted in position within a bomb casing, and-Fig. 2 is a horizontal section taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

.Iteferring to the drawings a main frame 1, preferably a metallic casting, is employed having upper and lower tubular portions 2 and 3 which are provided at their lower and upper ends respectively with outwardly ex- 1 tending annular portions 4 and 5. Theselatter are connected by a plurality of outwardly extending vertical ribs 6, which are spaced around the periphery of the structure and preferably extend radially. By this means a skeleton frame is provided which may easily be cast and which affords pockets or spaces between the ribs 6 for the reception of the detonating charge. A thin 100 tube 7 of brass, or other suitable material, is fitted within the bore of the frame to have close contact with the inner surfaces of the annular portions 4 and 5 of the frame and to rest against the inner edges of the ribs 6.

The s aces between the ribs, the horizontal portions 4 and 5 and the tube 7., may

, then be filled with a high explosive material 8 such as tri-nitro-toluol. The metal tube 9 having a screw-thread formed on the upper portion of its bore, as indicated at 10, is then slipped upwardly into position around the frame and screwed into tight engagement with a corresponding screw-thread formed on the periphery of the upper annular portion of the frame, and if desired, on the outer edges of rib 6. The lower edge of tube 9 is curved or bent inwardly as indicated at 11, to press tightly against the lower surface of the lower annular portion 5 of the booster frame when the tube is screwed into its final position. When so arranged, tube 9 forms a strut member and takes whatever stresses may be transmitted from upper annular portion 4 to lower annular portion 5. By this means the danger of breakage in ribs 6, or at the angles between annular portions 4 and 5 and the portions 2 and 3 of reduced diameter, respectively, is ob viated.

In my preferred construction a plug 12 is screwthreaded within the lower cylindrical portion 3 of the booster frame, this plug preferably being of solid metal and having a peripheral. lower flange 13 which may contact against the lower end of cylindrical portion 3 when plug 12 has been screwed into position. This plug serves as a further stiffening means forthe construction. A firing pin 14: is secured on or is integral with the upper surface of plug 12. 1

The upper portion 2 of the booster frame is preferably elongated as shown, and is secured in position within the outer casing 15 of the bomb or explosive device, in any suitable manner. In the construction illustrated, the upper end of portion 2 is provided with an outwardly extending annular portion 16 which has an internally threaded ring 17 screwed thereon, this ring being socured to the casing 15, as by means of flange 18 on ring 17 being inserted within a suitable opening in the casing 15 stiffening ribs 2 may extend between outwardly extending portions 16 and 4: of the frame.

A tube 19 may extend upwardly from the upper portion 2 of the booster frame, preferably being screw-threaded therein, so that its bore forms a continuation of the bore of portion 2 of the detonator frame. I A det onator 20 is illustrated as mounted within tube 19, this detonator having an explosive cap 21 at its lower surface, which is connected by a' passage 22 with a detonating material 23 carried on the periphery of the detonator, cap 21 being adapted to be exploded b contact with the firing device 14 or any ot er suitable firing device.' It should be understood that the explosive chamber surroundin tube 9, within the casing 15, is filled with igh explosive material which is detonated by the explosion of the explosive material 8 in the booster, when the latter is fired by the e lesion of detonating material 23 on the periphery of the detonator. It should also be understood that the shock caused by the impact of the forward end of the bomb against its target, when the bomb is dropped from an aeroplane, for example, causes excessive stresses, which are transmitted from casin 15 to the booster frame. These stresses, act-mg downwardly through ribs 6 to annular portion 5, would tend to rupture the ribs 6, were it not for the provision of the tubular member 9 which sus tains the annular portion 5, the stresses bemg thereby distributed throughout the periphery of member 9.. 2:

What I claim is:

1. A booster construction for explosive shells, comprising a skeleton frame having upper and lower annular portions extending outwardly from a cylindrical bore, peripherally spaced ribs extending between said portions, and a rigid tubular member fitted around the outside of said annular portions and said'ribs, said member being secured to said upper annular portion by being screw-threaded thereto, and having its lower edge curved inwardly to form a sustaining flange beneath and in close contact with the lower surface of said lower annular portion.

2. A booster construction for explosive shells, comprising a skeleton frame having upper and lower annular portions extending outwardly from a cylindrical bore, peripherally spaced ribs extending between said portions. and a rigid tubular member fitted around the outside of said annular portions and said ribs, said member being secured to said frame in such manner as to make a rigid connection between said upper and lower annular portions.

3. A booster construction for explosive shells, comprising a skeleton frame having upper and lower annular portions extending outwardly from a cylindrical bore, peripherally spaced ribs extending between said portions, and a rigid tubular member fitted around the outside of said annular portions and said ribs, said member being secured to said upper annular portion by being screwthreaded thereto, and being securedto said lower annular portion to sustain the same.

1. A booster construction for explosive shells, comprising a skeleton frame having upper and lower annular portions extending outwardly from a cylindrical bore, peripherally spaced ribs extending between said portions, a thin tube fitted Within the bore of the frame, a firing plug screw-threaded- Within the lower end of the bore of said lower annular portion below the end of said thin tube, and a rigid tubular member fitted around the outside of said annular portions and said ribs, said member being rigidly secured to said upper annular portion, and

flanged at its lower end into sustaining con tact with said lower annular portion.

This specification signed and witnessed this 7th day of February, 1918. LESTER P. BARLOW.

Witnesses:

DYER SMITH, I. MOINTOSH. 

